Grokkist Newsletter #59

Hey friends,

Lately, I’ve been feeling the energy of things coming together—not in a neatly packaged way, but in that stretchy, scratchy, figuring-it-out-as-we-go kind of way.

There’s an abundance to it.

The quiet satisfaction of showing up, building momentum, and feeling the pieces click into place—even as the wider world continues to burn, literally and figuratively.

Deepak Chopra puts it perfectly:

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”

There’s something deeply grounding about just showing up, doing the work, and seeing what unfolds.

One of my favourite things in the Grokkist Network profiles is finding what people put in the What Lights You Up box. Recently, someone wrote:

“Experiencing the unfolding that people do of themselves, when they feel safe and supported.”

Well, bugger me. That’s it, isn’t it? That’s what all of this is about.

It’s in the quiet, everyday moments—whether it’s refining the Glossary of Grokkistry, which has grown organically from people being their shoes-off selves and naming what matters, or updating our About page to better reflect the evolving heart of what we’re building. And, of course, growing energy around the Grokkist Press.

It all comes back to creating spaces where people can unfold—safely, authentically, and on their own terms.

And then there’s the membership call-out video I made the other day. If you’ve seen it, you know it marks a personal milestone for me.

Grokkist has always been my heart laid bare, but for a long time, I’ve let the work speak for itself—building, sharing, and hoping the right people would find it without me needing to step forward.

But sometimes, letting the work speak isn’t humility; it’s avoiding being seen. The video is my way of sidling up to being seen, testing the waters, and trusting that it’s okay to take up space.

It’s a stretch, and I’m feeling it. But that’s exactly what Grokkist is about—leaning into the stretch, the place where growth and possibility live.

So yeah, things are happening.

They’re evolving, shifting, and taking shape in ways I couldn’t have predicted. If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, now’s a great time to jump in. The water’s fine.

And if you’re already here—thank you. Let’s keep making this better, and better, and better.

With curiosity and care,
Danu

Fresh from the Press

Finding the Soul in Sustainability

By Jessica Böhme (9 min read)

When we bring our soul back into the act of caring for the world, sustainability shifts from obligation to fulfilment.

Read the article ↗

Truth, Wisdom and Cezanne

by Peter Gilderdale (3 min read)

Like Cezanne’s mountain, truth reveals itself differently depending on where we stand—always present, but always waiting to be rediscovered.

Read the article ↗

More from the Press

• I am that Butterfly! – Peter Gilderdale (5 min)

Upcoming Events

🟠 Intro to NeuroGraphica: Transform Your Inner Landscape

🗓️ Tue 28 Jan | 6.30–8.30pm GMT (UTC-0) (view in your timezone)
Facilitated by Margarita Steinberg

Neurographica offers a uniquely powerful tool for transforming your emotional state and gaining clarity through the simple act of drawing.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have:

• A personal drawing that reflects your journey with the theme you’ve chosen.
• A new, visceral understanding of how Neurographica can shift your emotional and mental state.
• Practical tools to bring this technique into your everyday life to support your well-being and creativity.

Come with curiosity and an open heart. Leave with a sense of possibility and the beginnings of a profound new relationship with yourself.

Event Details and RSVP ↗

🟢 Grok Café [1st for 2025]

🗓️ Thur 30 Jan | 7–8.30pm ET (view in your timezone)
Facilitated by Danu Poyner

You’re invited to the Grok Cafe: our signature social gathering for grokkists. The Grok Cafe is a place to share meaningful reflections, spark curiosity, and feel a sense of belonging with others who share a kindred ethos of care and curiosity.

At the heart of our gathering are two beautiful questions—an invitation to explore together and reveal parts of ourselves in community:

• What seeds from the past year are you carrying forward to nurture in 2025?
• If this year were a chapter in your story, what would you title it?

Event Details and RSVP ↗

Other Upcoming Events

• 6 Feb | 🟢 AI, Social Media, and Rehumanising Attention | Themed Cafe
• 17 Feb | 🟣 Grokkist Members Meetup [Feb '25]

Featured Course

Find Your Red Thread [C3]

A five-week journey to explore the patterns of your life, reclaim your story, and connect with what matters most.

Starts 24 Feb for 5 weeks

Find Your Red Thread is about helping you make sense of yourself. Sometimes, life feels scattered—like the pieces of your story are out there, but they don’t quite add up.

Maybe you’ve been chasing the next goal, trying to live up to an idea of success that isn’t yours, and now you’re wondering what it was all for. It feels like burnout, but it’s something deeper: a longing to realign with what brings you alive and makes you feel whole.

This is a space to sit with those pieces—not to fix them, but to look at them honestly and see the patterns, the connections, the story they’re trying to tell.

🔖 Suggested Tuition: USD$275*
(*Can't afford it? Don't worry. Our Forget About the Price Tag policy ensures this course is open to everyone, regardless of budget.)

Explore 'Find Your Red Thread' ↗

#1 - The Extractive Class and what we can do about it

In Search of Effective Activism Part 2: “These Streets Should Be Paved with Gold”

Reversing the extractive flow of wealth from your community

As If We Were StayingSpencer R. Scott

As Mandy Harris Williams modeled, when you see injustice, it is your job to very calmly adjust your plans to interrupt it. Here is roughly the shape of the game that is left for us to play. Choose a part, and “lock tf in” as the youths are saying.

Spencer R. Scott’s In Search of Effective Activism offers a nuanced take on the idea of the “extractive class”–not as a simplistic villain, but as a framework to better understand how wealth and power flow through (and out of) our communities. He traces how this class operates, turning entire regions into sacrifice zones, draining resources and resilience from local economies while concentrating wealth elsewhere. Whether it’s the fossil fuel industry in Louisiana or copper mining in Zambia, the pattern repeats: promises of prosperity that never quite arrive, leaving communities struggling in the aftermath.

Scott’s piece isn’t just diagnosis; it’s applied hopefulness. He explores tangible ways to shift the flow—rethinking energy, finance, labor, and governance to build resilient, self-sustaining local economies. It’s an invitation to move beyond bumper-sticker politics and into grounded, specific action: where does wealth go, and how do we keep it closer to home? If you’re looking for a framework that connects the abstract to the day-to-day, this is a thought-provoking place to start.

#2 - One Stroke Calligraphy and writing by heart

“May you look beyond my words and see my heart.”

I came across this video when visiting the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Auckland, and it’s stayed with me. When Hsing Yun lost his sight and could no longer read, he turned to calligraphy—not just to pass the time, but to cultivate focus and clarity. He offers a perspective of his 'one stroke calligraphy' as a practice of presence, generosity, and quiet strength, in which the brushwork, flowing in a single, uninterrupted stroke, reflects a mind unobstructed and fearless, a silent expression of the Dharma that invites contemplation and connection. 

#3 - Six of the world's most unusual roads

Six of the world’s most unusual roads - BBC Bitesize

They twist, turn and take some steep climbs

BBC BitesizeBBC Bitesize

This roundup of Six of the World’s Most Unusual Roads takes you from Norway’s stomach-dropping Atlantic Ocean Road—where the Storseisundet Bridge looks like a rollercoaster gone rogue—to China’s Guoliang Tunnel, hand-carved through a mountain by villagers who refused to stay isolated. There’s Swindon’s infamous Magic Roundabout, which somehow works despite (or because of?) its chaotic design, and Baldwin Street here in New Zealand—officially the steepest street in the world after a back-and-forth battle with a Welsh rival. Whether it’s beauty, danger, or sheer weirdness, these roads prove that getting from A to B doesn’t always have to be boring.

#4 - The art of Rainbow Brainskull

Rainbow Brainskull (Ramin Nazer)

Ramin Nazer is an artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He is the author of After You Die, I Love Everyone, Strippy Comics, Hey and Cave Paintings for Future People.

Ramin Nazer

One of the best parts of my Insta feed, the art of Ramin Nazer aka Rainbow Brainskull is a vibrant fusion of surrealism, psychedelia, and spiritual whimsy, bursting with intricate details and bold, kaleidoscopic colours. Cosmic symbolism, ancient wisdom and metaphysical mischief meet Saturday morning cartoons on a mind-expanding journey.

#5 - From Pinecone to Pine Tree in 2 Minutes

This 2-minute timelapse follows a pinecone’s journey over 653 days, quietly unfolding into something much greater than itself. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing life unfold at a pace we rarely get to witness, a reminder that patience and persistence are at the heart of everything that grows. I challenge you not to have an emotional reaction to what happens 39 seconds in.

Feeling inspired? Become a Member.

As a Grokkist Member, you’re part of a circle of active grokkists walking the grokkist path. Find out more here.

Membership benefits include:

• 🟣 Member-Only Gatherings
• 🎭 Featured Member Profile
• 📣 Post Calls & Invitations
• ❤️‍🔥 30% Discount on Courses & Ticketed Events
• ✨ Early Access & Prototypes
• ▶️ Events Recording Library
• ⭐️ Digital Member Badge

Become a Grokkist Member - $75/yr

A pair of parting thoughts...

“Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results.” — Margaret Atwood

“The lesser evil is also evil.” ―Naomi Mitchinson